Bait
by Little Miss Annie
Summary: Dean and Sam ask Bobby for his help on a hunt, but who they find at the house as them both surprised. Tags: Implied/Referenced Torture
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Doing research always bored Dean, but he knew it was something they needed to do if they were to kill whatever it was killing people in that small town.

Four dead, found in their beds, ripped apart as if some wild animal at got to them. The thing was, there were no signs of forced entry. Every window and door of the house was locked shut. How in the world did anything or anyone got in? That question was burning in the back of Dean's head when…

-''Ahah, found it. I knew I've read somewhere something like that.''

-''What you got, Bobby?'' – Dean asked the older man. Bobby was a father figure to them, when their father wasn't.

-''Hellhounds.''

-''Hell-what? What is that?'' – Sam asked from the couch. His little brother was always the first to find and know about this sort of things and even he was confused.

-''Hellhounds, idjits. They are, as the name say, hounds from hell. They come to collect people's souls. You make a deal with a crossroads demon and he gives you a time frame of when your soul will be due, usually its five years. When time is up, the hounds come to collect. It's not pretty and from what you've told me, it's exactly the type of thing they would do.''

-''Sammy, check if our victims had any weird changes in their life's and go back five years.'' – Dean said to his little brother.

-''Way ahead of you, Dean.'' – Sam answered, typing on his computer. – ''First victim was about to lose his business when another big company made a profited deal with him; second victim found out he had brain cancer and had a miraculous cure; third and fourth victim were about to lose everything they had and somehow they didn't. Yep, sounds like demon deal to me. What you guy's think?'' – Sam asked, looking up.

-''I agree. Now, how in the world do you kill a hellhound?''

-''That's the problem. Hellhounds are only visible to the person who made the deal. They're the only ones who can see and hear them, so killing them is going to be tricky. Give me a couple more hours, maybe I can find something.'' – Bobby said, before diving back into his first edition books.

After a few hours of not finding anything, Dean decided to take a break. He grabbed a beer and went out to the junk yard. He sat down on the trunk of one of the many cars that Bobby had there and just looked at the sky, thinking of how long would it take to find another way to kill the hounds when he heard faint footsteps coming from behind him. He knew it wasn't Sam or Bobby; they would have made their presence known. As soon as the steps got close enough, he jumped from the trunk, wielding his gun in front of him and pointing at whoever was there. Who he saw caught him by surprise.

-''Dean Winchester, as I live and breathe.''


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

-''Dean Winchester, as I live and breathe.''

-''Sophia?'' – Dean asked, not believing his eyes.

-''Hi, Dean. It's good to see you but… do you mind putting the gun down? Unless you want to explain to my dad why you pointed a gun at me.'' – she answered smirking.

Dean hadn't seen Sophia, Bobby's daughter, since they were kids. Bobby made sure that after his wife's death and Bobby's beginnings at hunting, she would still be able to have a normal life. Of course that didn't meant she didn´t knew how to kill a vampire or a ghost, she did but that was just as a precaution in case something went after her.

She still looked like the girl he remembered: average height, curvy (even more now that she was a woman), long dark brown hair and brown eyes.'' God, she looks good.'', Dean thought. He always had the biggest crush on her, even thou she was a year or two younger than him. Of course no one knew, especially not Bobby. He was certain that if Bobby had found out, he would've kicked his ass.

-''How are you?'' – Dean asked as he gave her a tight hug and a big smile.

-''I'm good. How about you? RnR or are you on a hunt?'' – she asked, pretty sure she already knew the answer.

-''Hunt. Your dad is helping us with research.''

-''Us? That means little Sammy is here as well?''

-''Little?'' – Dean asked with a chuckle. – ''He's not the little kid you saw the last time, that's for sure. Come on, I'm sure your dad is going to love to see you.''

Dean and Sophia made their way back to the house, entering through the back door.

Bobby and Sam were so deep into their books, they didn't even noticed Sophia came in.

-''Hey guys. Look who decided to show up.'' – Dean said trying to get their attention.

Bobby and Sam looked up at the same time and as soon as Bobby saw his daughter, he immediately ran towards her. Sam hang back waiting for his turn to hug his ''big sister'' as he used to call her. After a while, Bobby let go of Sophia and Sam was able to hug her. She laughed when she realized Dean was right: Sam wasn't the little kid she remembered, not anymore. He was taller than her.

-''What you're doing here, kid? I wasn't expecting you.'' – Bobby asked his daughter with a smile.

-''Vacation. Decided to surprise you and turns out I'm the surprised one.'' – she said looking at the boys she had pretty much grown up with.

Looking at the boys, Sophia remembered all the things they went through together. The shooting practices, the trips to the park so the boys could have a normal day, the reading sessions in her father's study. But she also remembered the crush she had on Dean as she was growing up. That felt so distant now. They were kids, but the truth was that she really liked him. ''He looks even better than I remembered.'', Sophia thought.

Making their way to the kitchen, Dean grabbed four beers out of the fridge and passed them out. They decided to take a break from research to catch up a little bit. Sophia was sitting at the table with her dad and Sam, while Dean was standing against the door frame of the kitchen. That was their little family. As weird as it was, that felt right.

Dean couldn't help but look at her. The thought that kept coming back was how beautiful she looked. She had been away first for college and then for work. She would come around every now and again, but they were never there at the same time. And now he was seeing what amazing woman she had become. She was not only beautiful, no; she was smart, funny, kind, sweet.

A couple of hours later, the guys were back at research while Sophia was unpacking. She could still feel Dean's eyes on her and, for some reason, she didn't mind. She thought that after all this years that crush she had on him would be already gone. How wrong she was.

She pushed those thoughts out of her mind as she made her way down the stairs to join the guys in her father's study.

-''So what are you hunting?'' – she asked curious.

-''Hellhounds. Nasty little things if you ask me.'' – Dean answered shaking his head at the same time.

-''We're trying to find a way to kill them even thou, if we can't see them, that will make our job a lot harder.'' – Sam said without looking up from his book.

-''Have you tried dipping a pair of glasses in holy oil? That way you can see them and kill them with the demon knife.'' – she said while sitting on the only chair that wasn't covered in books.

-''Will it work?'' – Dean asked as he and Sam looked over to Bobby.

-''I guess. Where did you learned that?'' – Bobby asked her confused.

Sophia got up, taking a look at a stack of books before pulling one out. She turned the pages until she found the one she was looking for and then proceeded to show them what she had just said.

The three men looked at her, impressed that even after all this time she still knew her monsters. The boys went to get holy oil and two pairs of glasses before going to hunt the hounds. Sophia stayed with her father and said goodbye to the boys asking them to be careful, stay alive and come back when they're done. The boys agreed and drove off on the Impala.

While they waited for the boys return, Sophia and Bobby decided they would catch up and just relax. A few hours later, the unmistakable sound of the Impala's engine roared in the junk yard. The boys were back. Sophia made her way to the back door and what she saw almost made her gag. Both Dean and Sam were completely covered in hellhound blood. There wasn't an inch on their visible bodies that didn't have blood on it.

The boys made their way upstairs and Sophia told them she would bring them extra towels in a minute. She retrieved a few extra towels from the linen closet and walked upstairs, while her father was trying to wash the blood out of the Impala. She knocked on Sam's door first. Sam came to the door, still fully dressed, trying to figure out where to start. She told him to just leave his clothes on the hallway so she could put them in the washer before the blood was completely dried out. Sam agreed and went back inside. Next was Dean's turn, and for some reason that made her a bit nervous. She knocked on his door and he came to the door bare from the waist up. She could see his abs and a shiver went down her spine. She gave him his towels and told him the same thing she told Sam about the clothes. He thanked her and went back inside; not before giving her a wink.

As she waited for the boys clothes, she couldn't get that sight out of her mind. Dean's bare chest and abs. She felt the need to slap herself out of those thoughts, after all Dean only saw her as his ''little sister''. It's how it always had been and how it always would be.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

A few days had passed and the boys were still at Bobby's. They were getting some much needed rest and neither of them was in a hurry to get back on the road. While Sam spent his days looking through the books Bobby had, Dean would be outside fixing the Impala and catching up with Sophia.

-''God you're a sight for sore eyes. Last time we saw each other you were about to go to college. And now look at you, all grown up. You know Bobby's really proud of you, right?'' – Dean told her with a smile.

-''I know, he tells me that every time we talk.'' – she smiled. – ''You look the same, that's why it was so easy for me to recognize you that day in the yard. A bit taller, but the same.''

-''So do you. Hey, remember when we played hide and seek with Sammy in the yard? Damn, that boy knew how to hide.'' – he said with a chuckle.

-''Oh my God, yes. Remember the time he fell asleep and it took us all night to find him. We already were thinking something had taken him.''

-''He got an ass whooping for that one, how can I forget?''

They would spend their days like this, either reminiscing on their joint past while Dean fixed the Impala or while taking walks around the yard. Things were easy between them, no muss no fuss. They would talk for hours without ever running out of things to talk.

Dean started to feel like he didn't want to leave. He felt like he wanted to be there in that moment forever. ''What the hell is wrong with you?'', he thought. ''That's Bobby's daughter, man. You have to stop right now before you do something you might regret.'' Dean knew he could never tell her how he felt. If he did, he could possible lose not only her but the man who had been like a father to him and Sammy. And he couldn't let that happen.

As they walked through the yard, Sophia kept her body in check. For some reason all her body wanted to do was hold onto Dean, his hand, his back, his neck. It didn't matter, she knew better than that. If she were to let her body (and mind) do what it wanted, she could lose him, not to mention her dad would be pretty pissed if he found out. No, she couldn't let him know how she felt. Besides, he probably only sees her as his ''little sister''. Why mess that up?

They reached the house and entered through the back door only to find Sammy cooking dinner and Bobby sitting at the table talking to him. As they sat to eat, they all looked around and all had the same thought, it was just like old times. The four of them, sitting at the kitchen table, preparing to eat dinner and it felt like family. A second thought then formed in the minds of both Dean and Sophia, there was no way they would ruin that. They ate, talked and laughed just like old times. ''I'm home'', Sophia thought with a smile.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Soon the boys found a case and packed their things. Sam said goodbye to Sophia, but not before promising her that they would be careful and that they would come back before she left. Dean followed his brothers' lead and did the same but also trade numbers with her, just in case they needed anything. They both jumped in the Impala and drove out of Bobby's junk yard, with Dean watching Sophia through the rearview mirror. He was going to miss her.

-''Okay, what's going on?'' – Sam asked after a few hours of pure silence in the Impala, which wasn't normal. Normal was they would be discussing the case or Dean blaring some Metallica song through the speakers, but that type of silence wasn't normal.

-''Nothing's going on. Why would you ask that?''

-''You're too quiet, Dean. You're never this quiet when we are on our way to a hunt. You're always trying to devise a plan, trying to know something new that we might have missed, but today you're too quiet. So, I'm gonna ask again, what's going on?''

-''Nothing, Sam. I just don't feel like talking. Besides, we already have a plan for this hunt. There's no need to talk about that.'' – Dean couldn't tell Sam why he wasn't talking as usual. The thing was that we couldn't stop thinking that he needed to finish this hunt fast so they could return to Bobby's. Something was telling him that they should've never left. He expressed his concerns to Bobby, but the man just reassured him that they were safe there, after all the yard had every type of counter measure you can possible think of against every type of monster that was out there, angels and demons included.

It took them just two days to figure out they were after a nest of vampires and to hunt and kill them. The entire time Dean had been in contact with Sophia, even smiling at some of her text messages. But, by the time they finished up and took off heading to Bobby's, she stopped answering his messages. Bobby wasn't picking up either. That worried the boys and Dean pushed the Impala to the limit so they could get there as fast as they could.

It took them another two days to get to Bobby's and when they got there, they couldn't believe their eyes. The yard was intact but the house had clear signs of a struggle. When they saw Bobby he was coming from the yard with a shovel, salt and a canister of gasoline. All things you need to hide a body. He saw the boys and made his way to them. That's when they saw the cuts in his hands and face and his eyes were puffed and red like he had been crying.

-''Bobby, what happened?'' – Sam asked, worried and confused.

-''Demons. Somehow they managed to slip pass my devil's traps and other little surprises I had for them and got to the house. Sophia and I, we were ready for them but we were outnumbered. They tried possessing us, but couldn't because of the symbol. We took as many as we could. Eventually, one of them must have hit me in the head because I blacked out. Next thing I know, I have at least six or seven bodies I have to get rid of. And…'' – Bobby couldn't go on. He was tired but he needed to tell them. The boys were probably wondering where she was. And as soon as he thought that, Dean questioned him.

-''Bobby, where's Sophia?'' – now Dean was even more worried. ''Please, God, don't let her be dead'', was all he could think.

-''They took her. I looked for her everywhere. All over the house and the yard. I couldn't find her. I got the word out in case someone knows where she might be to contact me.'' – the man was a wreck. All he wanted was his daughter back, nothing else.

Dean's blood boiled. Whether he was willing to admit it or not, she was important to him and now knowing that she was taken by a demon that was it. Even if he had to go to hell himself, he was going to get her back. No matter the cost. He knew she could hold her own, and that the demons had their work cut out for them with her, but still… Now was the time to find her, no matter what. The rest, the rest could wait. All he knew was that when they find her, heads will roll.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Sophia woke up in the middle of an empty warehouse. Her head was hurting and she could taste blood on her mouth. ''Where the hell am I?'', she thought unsure of where she was and of the extent of her injuries. She tried to move but she was tied down to a chair. She looked around; sunlight coming in from the high windows casting some light into the dark place she was being held in. She started accessing her injuries, she knew she had a busted lip, she could also tell she had at least one or two broken ribs due to the sharp pain on her side; a cut just above her eye that hurt every time she would move her eyebrow; not to mention the cut on her forehead that gave her the throbbing headache she was having. On top of all that, she had a couple of cuts and bruises all over her body.

She started looking around to see if there was anybody there. She could see no one. That didn't mean that there was no one, so she decided to call out. ''This is a bad idea.'', she thought before saying anything.

-''Hello, is there anyone there?'' – she tried to sound as calm as she could. She wasn't denying that she was scared, she was, but they didn't need to know. Her dad always taught her ''Never let them see you sweat''. Her dad. She wondered if he was okay. Last time she saw him he was lying unconscious on the ground and soon after that she had blackened out. She started getting worried. – ''Hello? Anybody there?''

A demon walked out of the shadows and towards her. The young man couldn't be more than twenty years old, with blond hair and his eyes were pitch black.

-''Good morning, doll. It was about time you would wake up. I was starting to feel a bit lonely.'' – the demon said with a smile.

-''Who are you?''

-''The name is Richard, but you can call me Rick, doll.''

-''What do you want from me?'' – she asked, getting really tired of him calling her ''doll''.

-''Oh, straight to the point I see. You're definitely your father's daughter.'' – he said with a grin.

-''Yeah, well, untie me and I'll show you in what ways I'm my father's daughter, jackass.'' – that she learned from Dean. Never let them see you scared, confront them. And that's exactly what she was going to do.

-''Oh, feisty. I like it. Okay, I'll tell you.'' – he said, standing an inch away from her face. – ''You see, doll, you're not the one we want. You're just a mean to an end. The ones we really want are yet to appear. They will for sure come to rescue you and that's when we are going to get them. Do you know who I'm talking about, doll?''

A sense of realization came to her: Dean and Sam. They wanted the Winchesters. She was nothing but bait.

-''The Winchesters.'' – she whispered.

-''Bravo, doll. Aren't you a smart little girl? We know they will come, is just a matter of time. We watched as you and Dean walked together and talked hours away in your father's junk yard. Or how you helped Sam with research and laughed while doing it. We know you're important to them, so why not use you as bait? They will come rushing to save you only to find us.''

-''What I don't get is why you want them. I mean, it's not like they have killed many of you lately, maybe that's the problem?'' – she said, knowing that would most likely earn her some pain.

-''Oh, doll. You know, that mouth is going to be the death of you.'' – he said slapping her so hard she saw stars, but she didn't yell. No, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction. – ''You see, it's all about timing. We're getting more and more of us up top and as fast as we are getting them, just as fast are the Winchesters sending them down. It's a matter of survival.''

-''You do know they will kill you all if you hurt me anymore, right? As it is, it doesn't look good for you, but if you hurt me even more or kill me, then be sure that they will do everything they can to find you and kill you, no matter how long it takes. Just ask Azazel. Oh, that's right, you can't. They killed him.'' – she knew that everything she said was true. But still she was hoping and praying that neither the boys nor her father would come. She didn't want to see them get hurt because of her. But knowing her father and the Winchesters the way she did, she knew that wasn't going to happen. For now she'd wait. Until time would come to be strong and though it out. It was all in God's hands now.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

It took the Winchester brothers and Bobby two days to find a lead that would take them to Sophia, and even then, they weren't sure on how reliable the intel was. A hunter named Rick called Bobby and told him that he heard that demons were holding a girl captive in a warehouse and her description matched his daughter's. But he had no way to tell for sure, so it was a shot in the dark. The guys didn't care; they would accept whatever lead they could get. Sam had spent the entire time trying to find leads and ways to find Sophia; Bobby called everyone he knew to get her description out there and asked them to share with the hunters they knew; Dean did the same and when that ended he would spent the time getting everything ready so they could get her back without a hitch.

Dean was going insane in the house. While Sam and Bobby looked through maps and coordinates, he found himself feeling pretty useless which was a new feeling for him. But he knew when the time comes to rescue her, he would be the first in line to kill any s.o.b that might cross his path. Until then, he'll wait. He'll be patient.

As soon as they got the lead, they loaded the Impala with everything they had. They were going to war. They got in the car and drove for eighteen hours straight until they found the warehouse. They climbed out of the car and made their way towards the building. ''No demons in sight, not suspicious at all.'', Dean thought as he looked to the other men who might had thought the same thing.

They could hear voices coming from inside. The voices were muffled but they recognized Sophia's voice and knew they were at the right place. They decided for a tactical approach, instead of their usual ''guns blazing'' act. As they entered the warehouse, they could see Sophia sitting on a chair under a single spot of light. With her was a young man and Bobby recognized the voice. It was the hunter who gave them the tip on where she was. ''Crap, is a trap!'', Bobby whispered to the brothers. They nodded in agreement. It made sense. But a trap for who? Bobby? After all, she was his daughter. But if that was the case, why not get him back at the house? That could only mean one thing: the trap was for the boys. Why? They hadn't killed any demons in weeks. It was all very weird.

As they approached the man and Sophia, as quietly as possible, Sophia saw them and made an imperceptible movement, telling them to stay away. Neither the man nor the brothers noticed it, but Bobby did. But it was too late. All of a sudden they were surrounded by demons. They were outnumbered. In that moment, the man talked.

-''Ah, our guests of honor arrived. See doll, told you they would come. The Winchesters are so predictable. Oh, and they brought your daddy dearest with them, not that we need him, but still, welcome, Mr. Singer.'' – the man addressed them.

-''You were the one who called me.'' – Bobby said, angrily.

-''Yes, I knew you were eagerly waiting for news from your daughter, so why not tell you were she was? Consider it a parting gift.''

-''P-Parting gift?'' – Sophia asked, now considerable more worried for what was about to happen.

-''Why, yes doll. Did you think I was going to spare both you and your father? Oh doll. You can be so naïve.'' – the man said with a loud laugh.

-''It's us you want. Not them. So let them go.'' – Sam said. He wasn't going to let Bobby and Sophia die because of them. He didn't need to look at Dean to know his brother was thinking the same thing. After all, they were the only family they had left.

-''And risk they coming after us? I'm sorry Sam, not happening.''

-''You're dead, you know that right? I will tear you apart if you hurt any of them, I swear to God.'' – Dean growled. Sophia never had seen this side of him. She wished she could do something to save them, but she couldn't. She was still bound to the freaking chair.

Then, all of a sudden with a quick look exchange, the three men started killing demons. Even thou they were outnumbered, they didn't care. They weren't going to lay down and die. They were going down swinging. Sophia tried to get out of her binds but without much success. She was too weak. She couldn't see them, but she could hear them. They were fighting not only for their lives but for hers as well. If she could only see what was going on.

Just as it started, it ended. Dean was the first to come forward, then Sam, then her father. ''They're okay. A bit banged up, but okay.'', she thought. That was her last thought. For as soon as the three men came into the light, the demon Rick grabbed her out of her chair and held her hostage. She could feel the cold of the blade he was holding on her throat. She felt the blood dripping just a little bit down her neck.

-''It's over'' – Dean said. – ''Let her go and we might spare you.''

-''Like I would believe a Winchester.'' – Rick growled. – ''Sorry doll. I actually liked you.'' – he whispered in her ear.

The face she made must have been a dead giveaway of what was about to happen, for as soon as Rick lifted the knife from her neck, she could hear a collective ''No!'' coming from all three men. As the knife was plunged into her side, the demon smoked out of his vessel and disappeared. Sophia fell into the cold concrete floor, the footsteps of the three men approaching her.

-''Sophia, no. Come on, baby girl, stay with me.'' – Bobby said with tears in his eyes. She could hear the pain in his voice.

Sam was right beside her trying to stop the bleeding but she was losing a lot of blood. Dean was standing in front of her, tears in his eyes and his fists clenched. She was at a point were, she could hear their voices, but couldn't make out what they were saying.

She felt her body being lifted from the ground and as she looked over, Dean was carrying her towards the car, her father and Sam right behind them. She noticed a single tear escaping his eyes as he said ''Don't you dare give up, Sophia. Don't you dare. Fight, do you hear me? You fight like you never fought before.''

She could feel the engine roaring and vibrating the back seat where she was laying down with her head on her father's lap. She started remembering everything about her life. But the one memory that held her together was one with Dean. They were talking in the junk yard, what felt like a million years ago, and he had asked her if she had finally found someone who was up to Bobby's standards. As she told him no, that she wasn't with anyone, she could swear he was actually happy about it. Why, she didn't knew and she wasn't about to ask. All she knew was that as they made their way back to the house he put his arm around her, making her feel like she always had belonged there. That feeling overwhelmed her at that moment and she decided to let herself stay in that moment.

Dean drove like a maniac. All he wanted was to get to the hospital where the doctors could save Sophia. He kept looking over the mirror at her, making sure she was still with them. As he was driving, he made a promise. He would find that s.o.b demon and he was going to make him suffer for what he did to her. But the blame wasn't just his; it was Deans' fault as well. This whole thing was about getting him. She was dying because of him. He couldn't stand that. So, he made another promise. She would never get hurt again because of him. That's when he realized something. Without even noticing, he had fallen in love with her. ''Great'', he thought, ''If the demons won't get me, Bobby certainly will.''

They made to the hospital in record time, thanks to Deans' driving. The doctors rushed Sophia to surgery, leaving the three men feeling useless. Now was a waiting game. She had lost a lot of blood, so all they could do was pray that the doctors could save her.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The surgery took a lot longer than the three men expected. By the time the doctor came out, it was morning.

-''Family of Sophia Singer?'' – he called out.

-''Is she okay, doc?'' – Bobby asked, worried.

-''She lost a lot of blood, on top of all the other injuries she sustained. It took us awhile to stabilize her and a few transfusions. I'm keeping her for the night in Intensive Care, just so we can keep a constant eye on her. But it is my belief she will be fine.'' – the doctor told them.

-''Can we see her?'' – Sam asked, wanting to make sure she was really okay.

-''She's still sedated, but I'll ask a nurse to take you to her. Please, let her rest. Right now that's the best medicine we can give her.''

The nurse came to take them to see Sophia. Before they entered the room, the nurse warned them that Sophia had tubes and wires connecting her to a number of machines, but that it looked worse than it really was. All of those machines were there to keep her alive and to help her recover. The men nodded in agreement. The nurse then let them in the room, saying that she would be back soon to check on her.

Dean thought that Sophia looked so peaceful, laying there. He could feel the tears rising to his eyes again, but pushed them away. He couldn't let that happen. He had to be strong for her. Now more than ever. One by one, the three men approached the bed. Bobby sat down beside her, holding her hand; Sam, on the other side of the bed, put a strain of hair behind her ear, while Dean stood at the foot of her bed, watching her.

They were allowed to stay in the room with her, long after visitation hours were over. The men took turns in eating, stretching their legs and talking to the doctors and nurses. Neither of them wanted to leave her side, they didn't want her to wake up alone.

It was Deans' turn to stay with her while Sam went to eat and Bobby talked to the nurses. Dean didn't know why it was taking her so long to wake up and he was starting to get even more worried. What if the doctor missed something? What if she would never woke up? He shook his head, trying to push away those thoughts. ''She'll be fine.'', he thought, not really knowing.

-''Sophia, please wake up. We need you. Your dad needs you. I need you. Please. I don't know if you can hear me, but if you can, here it goes: fight. Come back to us. You've been a sleep for too long. We need you to help us take care of your dad. Fight, Sophia. Please. Don't leave us.'' – Dean was crying as he said those words. He didn't want to lose her. She meant the world to him and all he wanted was to see those beautiful brown eyes looking back at him, hear her laugh and see her smile at him.

As he was walking back into his daughters' room, Bobby heard Deans' plea to Sophia. He realized that it wasn't just him who was suffering with all of this, so were the boys. They grew up with her, she was like a sister to them and now they were seeing her hurt and unresponsive. Bobby knew then what they needed to do.

-''You boys find that demon s.o.b and you make him pay for what he did to our girl, you understand?'' – Bobby told the boys, just outside Sophias' room. He would never send them on a revenge hunt, but this was his daughter. That was a completely different case.

-''Don't worry, Bobby. We'll find him and when we do, he's gonna wish he never left hell.'' – Dean said in a growl, while saying goodbye to Bobby.

-''Keep us posted, Bobby, please.'' – Sam asked him, before saying goodbye and following his big brother out of the hospital.

Now, the hunt for demon Rick begins.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Sam and Dean spent days hunting down every demon they could find, torturing them for information on demon Rick, but without much success. They even had asked other hunters to try and do the same, if possible, and to relay to them any information they might get. All the hunters they talked to agreed, after all they all knew Bobby. More than once had Bobby saved their asses by backing up their covers, so they were all more than willing to give a helping hand in finding the demon that had hurt his daughter.

They had been hunting for two weeks straight when another hunter called them.

-''Hello?''

-''It's this Dean Winchester?'' – the man on the other side asked.

-''Depends. Who's asking?''

-''Right, sorry. My name's Walter and I am an old friend of Bobbys'. A fellow hunter named Peter told me what happened to Sophia. I couldn't believe. He said that if I heard anything about a demon named Rick to call you.''

-''Yeah, that s.o.b demon did some damage. Did you hear anything?''

-''There's this bar where, rumor has it, a demon named Rick has been making deals. The catch is instead of going to hell, the person becomes a vessel for another demon. Sounds like your guy?''

-''Could be. Listen, send me the address and we'll check it out. What did you say your name was, again?'' – Dean asked, so he could double check with Bobby if this guy was legit.

-''Okay, sure. Walter, Walter Peterson. Listen, if you talk to Bobby, tell him I'm really sorry about Sophia. If he needs anything, just let me know.''

-''Thanks, Walter.''

-''No problem. Good luck.''

After Dean hung up, he got a message with an address. He called Bobby to let him know about this new lead and to make sure this Walter guy was the real deal. Bobby vouched for Walter and warned the boys to be careful. After talking to Bobby, and hearing from Sophia, Dean jumped in the Impala with Sam and drove to the address that was sent to him. All he wanted was to get there fast, so he could catch that s.o.b and make him pay for what he did to her.

The address Walter gave them was a day away from where they were. They got there as night fell and made their way to the bar. Making sure demon Rick was inside, they waited for him to come out. Dean was getting anxious and almost went inside to get him, when the side door opened and there he was, the demon they had been hunting. It was now or never. Dean shoots him with a devils' trap bullet right between the eyes. Rick didn't stood a chance.

Now, the fun begins.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Rick was sitting on a chair, inside a devils' trap, in a poor lit room. As he looked around he didn't see anyone but he knew they were there, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. He knew the men who had shot him. He knew them all too well: Dean and Sam Winchester. He also knew he was in big trouble. He had killed someone they both cared about and when that happens, they always made sure that the bad guy paid for what he did.

Dean and Sam were in the shadows watching Rick come to the realization that he wasn't going anywhere. Not alive anyway. Dean took a step forward towards him, demon blade in hand. Dean was going to make him pay for what he did to Sophia and he was going to suffer. Dean started torturing the demon and took his time doing so.

After a while, Sam would usually ask Dean to stop; not this time. This demon had hurt Sophia, his ''big sister''. He wanted the demon to suffer as much as she did. Sam always looked up to her, how she made it look so easy to be a hunter and go to school at the same time. She was always there for him when they were kids, protecting him or kicking some bullies ass at school. Now was his turn to protect her and kick some demon ass for what he did to her.

After two days of torture, Dean decided it was enough. They exorcized the demon and packed everything up, making their way back to Bobbys' house, where they knew Bobby and Sophia were waiting for them. Sophia. God, he couldn't wait to see her. Bobby called them as soon as she had woken up and Dean got to hear her voice, that was two and a half weeks ago. Now, she was back home and neither Dean nor Sam could wait to see her.

As they were driving back to Bobbys', Dean started thinking about Sophia. She was the best part of his life. Kind, sweet, smart, protective of her family and a smile that could light up a room. Pretty much everything he always wanted in a woman. There was only one problem: he was a hunter and even if he had a chance with her, which he very much doubt, Bobby would never agree to it. The man always had said that the last thing he ever wanted was for his little girl to be with a hunter. That's why he had to stay away from her. He wasn't going to risk Bobby's wrath. Not after everything they had been through together. Tears flooded his eyes, when thinking about all of that, but he quickly shook them away.

Sam was watching his big brother when he noticed Dean had tears in his eyes. Sam didn't know what was going on in his brothers' mind but he knew who it was about: Sophia. The two of them had always shared a special bond. He even suspected that they both had crushes on each other but they never spoke about it and neither did he. Not that he had anything against it, but he knew that Bobby would most likely kick Deans' ass if he ever found out. Not to mention he would likely sent Sophia away to boarding school just to keep her away from Dean. It wasn't because it was Dean, he would do the same for any other man. Bobby would never let a hunter date his little girl. No way. And that made Sam sad. He knew how much good Sophia did to his brother. She was good to him, hell, she was perfect to him. He could have a semi-normal life with her. And yet, they couldn't be together. That made him sad.

The boys got to Bobbys' place late that night and instead of going in and waking up Bobby and Sophia, they decided to just sleep in the car and wait until morning to see the rest of their little family. It would be just a couple of hours. With that thought in their minds, the boys fell asleep. When morning comes, they would all be together again.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Morning came and the boys made their way towards the kitchen. Bobby always left that door unlocked but only a couple of people knew about it. As they entered the kitchen, Bobby was already up and making coffee. He saw the boys and nodded in acknowledgment. The boys nodded back. As they sat at the table, Dean had a burning question on the tip of his tongue.

-''Hey Bobby.''

-''Yeah?''

-''How's Sophia doing?'' – Dean needed to know. Sam was now wide awake, for he too wanted to know.

The man let out a breath before answering. That raised a few red flags with both Dean and Sam.

-''Physically, she's okay, still a bit sored, but okay. Mentally, that's a different thing.'' – the man said with sadness in his eyes. He never wanted this for his little girl. He never wanted her to go through anything like that. The boys didn't knew, but during the time she was held captive, the demon Rick tortured her, just for the sheer pleasure of knowing he had torture someone that the boys cared about. He wasn't mad or angry at the boys, but he was at the demon. He wished he could have been the one to kill him, instead he choose to stay behind and take care of his daughter.

-''What do you mean, Bobby?'' – Dean asked worried.

-''She has nightmares every night; she won't sleep more than two or three hours every night. When she's having a nightmare, I try and wake her up and when she does wake, she looks so scared. My daughter is even afraid to go to sleep, worried that she will have a nightmare. I honestly don't know what else to do. She won't tell me want she dreams about or what he did to her, and it kills me not being able to help her more.'' – As he was telling the boys what had been going on, the man had tears in his eyes. The boys knew how much he loved her and could only imagine how much it hurt Bobby not being able to help his little girl.

The boys knew all too well what kind of scars being tortured leaves behind. Not just the physical ones, but the emotional and mental ones. They both had been tortured in the past and knew it wasn't something you could easily come back from. So, with just a look at each other, they knew what they needed to do. They were going to talk to her, tell her what they went through and how they overcame it. If, in the process, she wanted to tell them what happened to her, even better; if not, at least she would know that she wasn't alone.

Suddenly, they heard a scream. Bobby jumped from his seat and ran upstairs, followed by the boys. Bobby went straight towards Sophias' room and went in, the boys waited by the door.

-''It's ok, baby girl. Dad's here. It's ok, you're safe now. Breath. That's it, just breath.'' – Bobby said to a shattered Sophia. Looking back, Bobby saw the boys by the door and gave them a pleaded look. He was lost; he didn't know what to do and was looking at them for help. They would do whatever it took to help them. After all, they were family.

Dean walked away from the door, followed by Sam, so that Bobby and Sophia could have some privacy. Now Dean was actually scared. The woman he saw in that room wasn't the Sophia he knew. She was a lot skinnier, her skin looked pale and her hair had lost its glow. She looked so scared and small. Her light was gone. He could only imagine what the demon had done to her. Whatever it was, they were losing her.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Sophia didn't even notice the boys standing at the door. All she knew was that she had another bad dream and that her dad was there to hold her, to calm her down. It wasn't until she calmed down that her dad told her that the boys were back and that they would be waiting for her in the kitchen. He told her to come down whenever she felt ready. She would never feel ready. She knew the boys would ask her a number of questions that she really didn't want to answer, but she was going to have to talk to them anyways, might as well be now. She could only hope they wouldn't ask anything too difficult.

As she got dressed in front of the mirror, she could see all the scars that were left behind. All the places the demon stabbed her with the knife, all the cuts and bruises, that were still healing, were there. She didn't feel like herself. She finished getting dressed and made her way to the kitchen where her dad, Sam and Dean were. Dean. How she wished he wouldn't see her like this. It was bad enough that her dad was seeing her broken, but Dean as well? That hurt.

When she got to the kitchen, the three men stood up. Sam was the nearest and as soon as he saw her, he pulled her close and gave her a tight hug and a sweet smile. Didn't say anything, he just hugged her. Then there was Dean. He walked over to her and held her. She could feel tears coming to her eyes and next thing she knew she was sobbing in his arms. She didn't intend to, it just happened. Even thou she loved her dad, she always felt safe in Deans' arms, even when they were just kids and now being in his arms, she broke. She would only cry after a nightmare, but now there she was, crying like a child in the middle of the kitchen.

No one said a word, they just let her cry. They knew she needed that. As she calmed down, they all sat down and waited. They wanted her to talk first.

-''I'm sorry. I don't know what happened. I'm so sorry.'' – Sophia said, whipping the tears away.

-''It's okay. Don't apologize. It's normal.'' – Dean said, reassuring her.

-''Are you okay, baby girl?'' – her dad asked, while giving her a glass of water, unsure of what else to do.

-''I'm okay, dad. I don't know what happened. But I'm okay.'' – she gave him a faint smile before drinking some water. – ''Okay, go ahead. Ask anything you want. I know you want to.''

The men couldn't help but smile. There she was, the Sophia they knew. Straight to the point.

-''We don't have to talk about anything you don't want to talk about, Sophia.'' – Sam said, trying to reassure her that it was okay if she didn't want to talk.

-''It's better if we talk now, while I still can. If I keep this bottled up, I might explode and I don't want that. So, go ahead, ask away.''

-''What happened before we got there, Sophia?'' – Dean was the first to ask, earning him two very shocked faces from Bobby and Sam. If she wanted to talk, then let's started with the difficult questions. Get that out of the way.

-''Straight to the point. Good.'' – she answered, thankful that it was Dean who asked and not her dad. She wished her dad never had to hear what the demon put her through, but there was no escaping from that. Sooner or later he would find out. Better now than later. She went on to tell the three man everything, from the reason why the demon wanted the Winchesters to all the torture she was put through. She cried, she yelled, she broke down, she even laughed at one point, but she told them everything. In the end, no one said anything. They just sat there, trying to understand everything she just said. Up until that point, Sophia didn't notice that both her dad and Dean were holding her hands. Maybe that's what gave her the courage to tell them everything. She didn't knew, all she knew was that now all they could do was try and move past it. Hopefully…


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

It's been weeks since that night in the kitchen, the night Sophia told the three men in her life what really happened while she was being held hostage by the demon Rick. After she told them everything, the men went on and told her about the brothers struggle to hunt down the demon, how they finally caught a break and how, in the end, they made him suffer as much as he did her. When all was said and done, they all felt like a weight was lifted from their shoulders. Now they could focus on healing, not just physically but also emotionally. That didn't meant she wasn't having nightmares, just not so frequently. Instead of having one every night, she was now having one just every other week, which everyone thought was an improvement.

This was what was on Sophia's mind as she walked around the yard. Physically, she was a lot better; it was her mind that still was a mess. She started walking around the yard every day for an hour. It was her way of dealing with everything; it gave her time to think about her nightmares, to sort her thoughts, but most important, to think about the feelings she had for Dean. Yes, they were still there. And after she learned about everything he had done for her, regarding this whole situation, they grew even stronger.

She heard footsteps behind her and as someone touched her shoulder, she quickly turned around, grabbing that person's hand and threw them on the dusty floor of the yard. When she looked down, she saw those green eyes that she loved looking up to her.

-''Nice throw.'' – Dean said with a chuckle.

-''What the hell, Dean? I could have hurt you.'' – she said, stretching her hand out to help him up.

-''I called you like three times''

-''Sorry, I didn't hear you. I zoned out.''

-''It's ok. But it's good to know you still got good reflexes.'' – he said smiling.

-''You were lucky I didn't had my knife with me. If I did, I had a lot of explanations to do to both Sam and my dad.'' – she said, teasing him.

-''That's for sure.'' – he said with a grin.

-''Anyways, did you need something or are you just checking up on me, as usual?''

-''Is it that bad that I check up on you?'' – he said, a bit hurt.

-''No, but as I keep telling you, I'm fine. Not 100%, but getting there.'' – she said, kindly.

-''Sophia, I…''

-''What's wrong, Dean?'' – she asked, now concerned that something might have happened while she was in the yard or that he might be leaving.

-''Nothing, never mind.'' – he gave her a soft smile. He wanted so much to be able to tell her how he felt, how seeing her broken just made his resolve of keeping her safe even stronger. But he couldn't muster the courage to do so.

-''Dean, what is it? Come on, you now you can tell me anything.''

And as she said those words, Dean decided to take a chance. He closed the gap between them and pressed his lips on hers. First, she was shocked, but then she let go. She kissed him with as much passion as he did. It took them a while to break apart, only doing so because of their need to breath. When that happened, they both looked at each other and smiled. That's what both have wanted for so long. And there it was. They started walking, hand in hand, knowing that now they could be together. Well, almost. The toughest part was yet to come. Bobby.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

First, they decided to talk to Sam. If he was okay with them being together, he would certainly help them talking to Bobby about them. The talk with Sam went smoothly. For Sam, as long as his brother and ''sister'' were happy, that's all that mattered to him. But he knew that convincing Bobby was a whole different beast. The man was overprotective when it came to his little girl. And rightfully so. After his wife's death, Sophia was all he had left, so it was normal for him to not want her to go through the same pain he had when her mother died at the hands of a monster. He knew if she was to be with a hunter and, for some reason, he died during a hunt, she would never live it down. He certainly didn't.

-''Hey, dad. Got a minute?'' – Sophia asked her dad, walking into the study where he was, followed by the boys.

-''Sure. What's going on?''

-''Bobby,'' – Dean started, actually afraid of the man's reaction. – ''you know I respect you and love like a father. You were always there for me and Sammy when our dad wasn't. Hell, you practically raised us. So, due to that, it's only right that I ask for your permission to date Sophia.'' – when he was done, he was shaking. It wasn't that he was afraid of the man, he was afraid of losing their father figure.

-''No.'' – Bobby said, coldly. Sophia and Dean looked at the man, both with tears in their eyes. This was what they both feared.

-''May I ask why, Bobby?'' – Dean asked, his voice shaking a bit.

Bobby let out a sigh before answering.

-''It's not like I don't like you kid. I just don't want her with a hunter. And you know that. You even helped chase a few hunters away from her. Now I see it was for different reasons than mine, but still…''

-''Dad, I know that the last thing you ever wanted was for me to fall in love with a hunter, but that's exactly what has happened. We love each other, and it's not like we just feel in love now. We've always been in love. Please, dad. Just give us a chance to see if this is what we both really want. You know we would never go behind your back, that's why we're here asking you for your permission.'' – Sophia said, pleading with her father.

-''What happens if, God forbid, he dies on a hunt? Then what? Last thing I want is for you to feel the same pain as I did when your mother died. It will consume you, the same way it has consumed me.'' – he answered sternly.

-''Bobby, please. Reconsider. I love Sophia with all my heart. She makes my life so much better. All I want is to make her happy and if she would ask me to stop hunting, I would do it at a drop of a hat. That's how much I love her, Bobby. Please.'' – now Dean was the one pleading.

Bobby closed his eyes for a minute, lost in thought. He remembered how Dean was worried when he didn't see Sophia when they got to the house the day they were attacked; how angry he was when he realized she was taken; how he did everything in his power to find her and save her; how worried he looked when she was in the hospital; how he made the demon suffer. Bobby had to admit: it wasn't just because she was family to them; it was because he really loved her.

-''You listen closely, Dean Winchester, if you hurt her, so help me God, I will kill you. Do you understand?'' – Bobby finally caved in. He could see his little girl really loved him and he loved her back. So why not? Let's let them have their happiness.

-''Yes, sir.'' – Dean answers with the biggest smile on his face.

-''Thank you, dad. I love you.'' – Sophia said, tears in her eyes. Tears of happiness.

-''Yeah, yeah. I love you too.'' – Bobby said, thinking that that boy must stay on track; otherwise he was going to have to kick his ass.


	14. Chapter 14

**Epilogue**

It's been two years since Bobby gave his permission for Dean to date his daughter. So much has happened since then. Angels, demons, monsters, hunts… But through it all one thing remain the same: their love. Dean would go on hunts with Sam, while Sophia stayed with him backing the phones. But after every hunt, the boys would return home and they were a family.

That was what was on Bobby's mind while trying to figure out an answer to give Dean. You see, Dean had just asked him for his permission to marry Sophia. He said all the right things and Bobby knew that he truly loved her, but still was afraid that he might hurt her, one way or another. Eventually, he came to a decision.

-''Dean, you know I love you like a son and nothing would make me happier than to see Sophia marry you.'' – he said with a sincere smile. He knew he couldn't keep those two apart, hell, he even had that same conversation with Sam and he told him something that stuck with him.

A few weeks before, he and Sam were in the yard talking about Dean and Sophia's relationship.

-''Bobby, I know you had your doubts about them, but let me tell you, being with Sophia changed Dean. He no longer goes in guns blazing, he's careful; his only thought is that he needs to stay safe so he can come home to her arms. He was never like that, you know as well as I do. Trust me when I tell you, they're meant to be together.'' – Sam said, with a gentle smile.

What Sam said that day, stayed with him and now there Dean was, asking for his permission to marry his daughter. He'd seen the change in Dean and he could see how happy she was with him, so how could he say no? He gave his permission knowing that his daughter was going to be the happiest girl around. She really loved him and couldn't live without him. He smiled, knowing that a new chapter in all of their lives was starting.


End file.
